Our mission is to bring small dogs together to experience positive and beneficial socialization skills,

fun, and exercise by improving health & wellness.

We promote the value of owning a dog.

We create fun and educational experiences with dogs.

We help current owners become better owners.

Our goal is to prevent dogs from going to, or returning to Rescue shelters.

The Dogs Past:

If your dog came from a litter or you adopted your dog from a rescue, positive socialization skills are beneficial to a dog's mental development.

Dogs develop mental past experiences. Some past experiences may be good, or some past experiences may have caused negative socialization skills that created "bad" habits, or mental anguish.

Dogs that have not developed positive socialization skills, and Dogs that are suffering with mental anguish will express themselves through:Aggression, snapping, anxiety, shyness, depression, lack of trust, lack of interest, lack of adventure, and sometimes lack of appetite.

Dogs can also develop "Bad" habits such as: Excessive barking, excessive jumping, excessive nipping or biting, dominance to bully, and not listening to their owner.

Without the development of positive socialization skills, what happens to the dog?

Some dogs get returned to the rescue and it is harder for the dog to get adopted out again. With overfilled rescue facilities those dogs get euthanized.

What happens at the small dog socialization play group:* Small dogs will develop friendships and create dog pack bonds that will develop and boost their confidence, develop trust, and create positive learning skills which may assist with mental rehabilitation for small dogs who are experiencing mental anguish from bad experiences. ​* Fur parents will develop friendships with other fur parents gaining valuable information, personal experiences, and resources.

It really depends on the scenario and how the dog reacts to the situation. Mental anguish could develop at home, at a coed dog park, or in your own neighborhood.

Here are some examples of scenarios that may cause mental anguish:

Stay-at-Home/Indoor Dogs ​

Stay-at-home/Indoor dogs have a higher percentage of developing obesity, diabetes, lack of interest, lack of adventure, and sometimes lack of appetite.

Off leash Coed Dog Parks:

(Big & Small dogs together in one place).

1. Small dogs can potentially get injured quickly by a large dog that plays too rough.2. Small dogs can look like prey to some large dogs.3. In the event that there is a bite or fight incident, a large dog can do significant damage to a small dog.

Off leash Dogs Roaming the Neighborhoods:

1. Off leash dogs roaming around in neighborhoods can be unpredictable because we do not know if they have been properly trained or if they are feral.

2. Small dogs can look like prey to some large dogs.3. In the event that there is a bite or fight incident, a large dog can do significant damage to a small dog and their owner.

Be cautious while walking your dog in your neighborhood.

Dogs that have not developed positive socialization skills and Dogs that are suffering with mental anguish because of an experience will express themselves through:​Aggression, snapping, anxiety, shyness, depression, lack of trust, lack of interest, lack of adventure, and sometimes lack of appetite.

Dogs can also develop "Bad" habits such as: Excessive barking, excessive jump playing, and dominance to bully, and not listening to their owner.

Fur Parent Questions & Concerns:

C: My dog has never been around other dogs, and I'm afraid what's going to happen.

A: The Organizers will be right there with you to assist in the socialization process.

C: My dog is nervous around other dogs, and I don't know if she'll have fun or not.

A: Some dogs socialize at their own pace. Sometimes the nervousness goes away quickly and sometimes it takes a few socialization meetings for them to start to feel comfortable with other dogs. The Organizers will be right there with you to assist in the socialization process.

Q: My small dog doesn't have any issues or have any bad experiences. Can I bring my small dog to socialize and have fun?

A: Sure! It's great for a dog to make friends and have fun.

Q: My dog is old, but I still want him to have fun. Will the other dogs push him around?

A: Absolutely not! We have Organizers close by to watch the dynamic actions of the dogs, and prevent negative behavior.

Q: My small dog has had a bad experience, but I want him to have fun again. Will this group help?

A: Yes! Our group emphasizes positive socialization. Our goal is to replace the "bad experience" memory that your dog has, and replace it with a "good experience" memory.

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Tiny Paws Small Dog Socialization Play Group Makes a Difference!

Small breed dogs must be under 35 pounds to attend the park meetings.

​We have a variety of small dog breeds that have such wonderful personalities. We enjoy seeing all of the little ones interact positively with each other and how it brings a smile to their Fur Kid Parents faces.

To keep our meetings fun and exciting, every Saturday, the Organizers bring refreshments for our Fur Kid Parents, and squeaky dog toys for our little ones to play with.

We have monthly potlucks and other events throughout the year. At the end of the year, we march in the Downtown Fresno Christmas Parade. The Organizers and Fur Kid Parents bring their Fur kids to show off their cuteness and personalities to the Christmas parade audience. The Fur kids bring smiles to many children's faces.

Come join the fun, and your little ones will thank you!

GENERAL MEETUP INFORMATION​​

We meet at 2 locations:

Roeding Park - Dog Park

890 W. Belmont

Fresno, CA

Free to join the group.Park Admission: $7 per vehicle daily

Meeting Day:We meet every Saturday

Sierra Bicentennial Park - Dog Park

84 N. Sunnyside Ave.

Clovis, CAFree to join the group.Park Admission:Free

Meeting Day:We meet once a month on the last

Saturday of the month

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Kids are Welcome at both locations:Children are welcome to attend, and must be accompanied by a parent or guardian throughout the entire event.

Autumn Hours: (Sept - November) 12pm - 2pmIf the weather is still hot in the early stages of Autumn, such as September or October, the meetings may continue to be 10am - 12pm. Please check each Saturday meeting announcement for any possible changes.

Winter: NO MEETINGS AT THE PARK (December - February)

REASONS FOR CANCELED MEETINGS:

*Spring: Meetings will be cancelled if Rain occurs or Extreme cold (55 degrees or below). occurs AT THE TIME OF THE MEETING.

*Summer: Meetings will be cancelled if Extreme Heat (above 85 degrees) occurs AT THE TIME OF THE MEETING. To prevent heat stroke and heat exhaustion in both our Fur Parents and Fur Kids.

*Autumn: Meetings will be cancelled if Extreme cold (55 degrees or below) occurs AT THE TIME OF THE MEETING.​​

EVENTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR:

* Potlucks every month March thru November

* October Small Doggie Coat Drive: October, when the weather starts getting colder, we hold the "Doggie Coat Drive" for our Tiny Paws Fresno members. Our Members can pick and choose a coat that is suitable for their little one to keep them warm in the winter.

* November Take a Holiday photo with the Tiny Paws Fresno Mascot: Three Saturdays in November (will be announced), Fur Kid Parents can take a photo with our Tiny Paws Fresno Dog Mascot.

* December Downtown Fresno Christmas Parade: If you would like to walk in the parade with the Tiny Paws Fresno Organizers! It's FREE to Tiny Paws Fresno members! Members who will be marching in the parade are to meet the Organizers at the specified location.

Small breed Dogs must be under 35 pounds to join the group.NO LARGE BREED DOGS ALLOWED.

DOG SAFETY:Tiny Paws Fresno goal is to provide a fun and safe environment for small dogs.​​

Spay and Neuter:

Dogs that are not spayed or neutered has a tendency to be aggressive towards other dogs to show their dominance. This creates dog fights and potential serious safety issues. It is highly recommended that your dog(s) are spayed and neutered before joining the group.Dog Aggression Severe: Aggressive behavior is notallowed. Dogs that bully, bites, excessive pouncing, or tries to cause harm to other dogs is considered a Severe Aggressive dog. Owners are responsible for controlling and correcting this behavior immediately. If owners do not take corrective actions, Tiny Paws Organizers will ask the owner to leave the meeting immediately. Tiny Paws Fresno is not liable for any accidents or injuries. Dogs with a reoccurring aggressive behavior will be BANNED from the Tiny Paws Fresno play group. We recommend behavioral training to assist your dog to play and adjust positively to other dogs before attending any of our meetings.

Nervous Dog Aggression: Sometimes a new dog will snap at other dogs because they are nervous with fear and are establishing boundaries. In most cases, the new dog stops snapping at the other dogs within a few minutes when they feel settled into the new environment with the other dogs. If the dog seems to take a little longer to settle in and the snapping continues, soft and gentle Safety muzzles are great to use.

Safety Muzzles: Tiny Paws supplies Safety muzzles that you may use at the time of the meeting. Safety muzzles are NOT to leave the meeting area. Please ask one of our Organizers to borrow a Safety muzzle.

DOG HEALTH:

Dog Vaccinations: For the safely of our dogs, it is required that your dog, must be current on ALL of their general series of vaccinations according to your veterinarian recommendations.*Note: Parks are potentially high risk for germ and parasites due to dogs not being vaccinated. This is why it's important to keep your dog protected and healthy.

Dog Illnesses: If your dog has cold symptoms, sneezing, runny nose, watery eyes, or frothing of the mouth, please do not bring your dog to the meeting. Please seek a veterinarian before attending a meeting to assure your dog is in good health.

Ticks & Fleas: All dog parks have a chance of having ticks and/or fleas because they live in grassy areas. To help reduce the spread of Fleas and Ticks to other dogs, It is required that your dog is given tick and flea control medication before attending the meeting to prevent the spread of fleas, ticks, and potential Lyme disease brought on from ticks.

Dog Poo Clean Up: It is required that we keep the dog park grounds clean of dog poo to prevent spreading a parasite called Giardia. Giardia is an intestinal parasite that is found in stool that is highly contagious to dogs and humans. Please pick up your dog’s poo immediately.Tiny Paws supplies Poo Bags that you may use, so please be courteous of others. (No one likes to step in dog poo).